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When I say Vincent Price, how many ghoulish characters do you see? Do you remember such films as The Fly, House of Wax, The Bat or The Pit and the Pendulum? Do you see him as Richelieu in The Three Musketeers, playing opposite Gene Kelly? Or the sinister husband in The House on Haunted Hill? Or the eccentric inventor in Edward Scissorhands? Do you remember him reciting poems and wearing costumes in The Hilarious House of Frankenstein (a Canadian kids' show, no less)? Do you hear that unique and eerie voice laughing at the end of Michael Jackson's Thriller?
Or do you recall his light and witty repartee with taxi drivers, sweethearts and ne'er-do-wells on Old Time Radio's classic detective show, The Saint?
Vincent Price was the actor with the longest run time as the Saint, playing the main role of Simon Templar from 1947 to 1951. The Saint was always known as a bit of a lady's man, though most of the ladies in question were a bit...well...vacuous. He also had a knack for finding the nosiest - and sometimes funniest - of all taxi drivers, but that's for another issue.
But if you listen to the end of most of the episodes of the Saint, especially the ones with Vincent Price, you'll hear him step out of character. Sometimes it was a quotation from literature about the vices of mankind and the consequences it represents. Sometimes, it was an appeal for charitable donations to CARE (which still exists today), or suggestions to buy United States Savings Bonds, or reminders to "exercise extreme care with fire while living, working or visiting in or near forest and woodland areas" ("Contract on a Saint", aired July 9, 1950).
They were Public Service Announcements. I don't know the source of the PSAs, or if they were Vincent's own idea. I do know that two in particular catch my attention - one, because of its passion and historical significance, and one because you couldn't get away with it today.
These days, Public Service Announcements are usually paid for by private or charitable organizations, and they're often prefaced by a reminder that the views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the broadcaster. And it could be just my impression, but it seems today we can only talk about serious topics either through a PSA (a.k.a. a good excuse to flip stations), or through sarcasm and rhetoric (like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, or The Colbert Report).
And sometimes, TV isn't the media of choice at all. I think of George Takei's response to Clint McCance, an anti-gay, former Arkansas School Board Member. The short response, filmed for the Trevor Project, was posted directly to YouTube, where it went viral, spurred on by exposure in Facebook and countless blogs. But aside from the Trevor Project, this clip has no association with any other broadcast, not a television series, not a documentary - it stands on its own.
By contrast, in terms of The Saint (and some few other programs, like The Shadow), the message was stated boldly and simply, without any mention of who is behind the message or why it's being said. The PSA is associated with the program and with Vincent Price. In fact, I can't prove one way or the other if they're the opinions expressed by the show, the network or by Vincent Price himself.
But what caught my attention wasn't so much what was said, so much as I was taken aback by it. My own reactions gave me pause to consider the history I was listening to.
In the first of the two featured episodes below ("Author of Murder", July 30, 1950), you'll hear a passionate plea for racial and religious tolerance. I caught myself thinking that I didn't need to hear it, because I already took racial tolerance as a given. We learn about it in school, on TV, in movies, you name it.
But then I realized, in 1950, the Jim Crow Laws were still in effect in the Southern US. In 1950, "separate but equal" was a driving force for everything from law to architecture. Blacks could apply for only certain jobs in certain places; pay scales were based on a colour bar; some restaurants, schools and waiting rooms were legally off limits to Blacks; there were even separate drinking fountains for Whites and for Blacks. Some states even made distinctions between White, Black and Coloured - people of mixed races - which added another layer of complexity to the law
In fact, this episode was aired 5 years before Rosa Parks refused to leave her seat on that bus, 10 years before To Kill a Mockingbird, and 13 years before "I have a Dream."
At the time of this broadcast, racial segregation was taken seriously. These nearly 100 year old laws were staunchly upheld by legislators, religious leaders and political figures. So for Vincent Price to speak out, he wasn't just at risk of ridicule. He was at risk of making very powerful enemies.
I'm not saying that Vincent Price was a forerunner of Civil Rights, or any more important than Martin Luther King Jr., or any other spokesperson for Civil Rights. And I'm not saying that today is any less racially intolerant than yesterday, either. (If you don't believe me, talk to the wrong person about Muslims, and you'll get an earful, especially today, this the 10th anniversary of 9/11).
What I am saying is that radio programs offer the opportunity to listen to history, as it unfolded - and as it unfolds - so long as you listen to the little details (the names and accents of the bad guys, the PSAs and the commercials), and consider them in a historical context.
But there is one PSA that I don't think could be aired these days, not without the "views expressed" warning, and even then, not without some ridicule.
The PSA at the end of "Nineteen Santa Clauses" (Christmas Day, 1945) is an appeal for all people to take advantage of their freedom of worship as protected by the U.S. Constitution, and to practice their faith openly and without shame. Vincent Price advocates the integration of faith in all aspects of life.
What a change from today. These days, I can't recall the last Christmas special I watched on TV that featured a church outside of a passing, nostalgic reference. And most times, when you see political figures or fictional characters who adhere faithfully to one religion or another, they're oftentimes vilified as ignorant, racist, hypocritical, closet homosexuals or pedophiles, and/or fear-mongering terrorists.
There are at least two other reasons why I doubt you'll see a PSA like this in today's mainstream television (with the exception of a channel dedicated to all things spiritual, of course).
First, conspicuous by their absence are references to mosques and temples. Only Judaism and Christianity are mentioned in the PSA (though one could argue "religious leaders" refers to any religion). Secondly, it assumes that without faith (i.e. atheism), "the family and community become unstable", and that non-adherents are incapable of inner peace. I suspect those outside of Judaism and Christianity - or outside any faith - would have been up in arms against NBC and Vincent Price for implying that adherence to only these two religions could prevent the unraveling of family and community life.
I think his heart was in the right place, but...you couldn't get away with it today.
Say what you will about the content of the message; what I want to bring forward is that in studying old time radio, you really are delving into history - broadcast history that predates a lot of legal and civil battles that we now take for granted. And history has not always been kind or pretty, but sometimes, its actors have meant well.
Without further ado, let's step back in time and listen once more to Vincent Price as...The Saint!
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Radio Spotlight: The Saint, "Author of Murder". July 30, 1950.
Radio Spotlight: The Saint, "Nineteen Santa Clauses". December 25, 1949.
Bonus feature: "I have a dream." Martin Luther King, Jr. August 28, 1963.
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